Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

On July 29th 2017, East Wall History Group held the Sarah Lundberg Summer School, an event set up to commemorate the life of Sarah Lundberg, an activist, historian and scholar who was involved in the group. One of Sarah Lundberg’s interests was pirate radio and that was the focus of the 2017 Summer School.

Interview: Maureen Maguire (Radio Pirate Woman, Radio Sinn Féin) — Undated flyer (possibly 1990) about Radio Pirate Woman (courtesy of Eddie Bohan).

In this edited interview Alan MacSimoin (RIP) talks to Maureen Maguire about her memories of political pirate radio in Ireland, including the unique Galway station Radio Pirate Woman, run by left-wing activist Margaretta D’Arcy from the 1980s.

Maureen Maguire was also involved with Radio Sinn Féin which broadcast on 298 metres (1008 kHz) in 1983. The station was one of several set up by the party as a protest against Section 31 of the Broadcasting Act which banned interviews with members of certain organisations including Sinn Féin.

There were several such stations during the 1980s including many supporting Republic prisoners on hunger strike who stood in the general election of June 1981 under the Anti H-Block banner. A short recording of Radio H-Block based in Dublin can be heard here (courtesy Skywave Collection) It also broadcast on 298 metres.

23rd December 201822nd June 2020

On Demand Archive

22nd December 20187th August 2021

Final overnight of Centre Radio, 30th to 31st December 1988

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This is an aircheck of the northeast Dublin station Centre Radio recorded from 2300 on 30^th December 1988 to 0530 on 31^st, the final day of broadcasting before the pirates were silenced. On air overnight is Bobby Gibbson (aka Brian Greene). Centre had just finished broadcasting a live variety concert from its studio location at the Mid-Sutton Community Centre. The decision was taken to broadcast through the night for the last time before the closedown at midnight on the 31^st.

22nd December 201814th June 2022

Jingles: Radio Dublin

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Radio Dublin was Ireland’s longest running pirate radio station. It broadcast from 1966 until 2002 and was at its peak in the early to mid 1980s on 253m/1188KHz and 6910 kHz shortwave. Here are a number of station idents and jingles from our collection, beginning above with two iconic 253 jingles from the late 1970s.

The clip below is a top-of-the-hour jingle from 1988. The FM transmitter had moved to 105 but Radio Dublin was still announcing 98.8.

Radio Dublin relayed other stations frequently during its long existence including World Music Radio. After midnight on 1st January 1989 when it defied the new law, it relied on WMR tapes for the first few days before resuming live programming. Here’s a WMR promo from 1987.

22nd December 20185th January 2019

Interview: Paul Allen (Sunshine Radio)

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On October 20th 2018 over 100 radio anoraks gathered in the Ballsbridge Hotel Dublin. The purpose was to meet and record oral history of the pirate radio era.

Paul Allen (aka Paul King) was involved in East Coast Radio, BLB, WLR & Sunshine Radio on air. He also worked on the Sunshine Radio Review.